A Small Piece of Peace
by mymuseandi
Summary: The Winchester brothers had a moment to themselves. Events right after S4E5 Monster Movie.


A/N: Big Bang over at LJ has been kicking my ass, literally. I didn't really have time to update the other stories but I feel like publishing something, if only to make myself feel like I've been doing something fanfic wise. LOL

This story is co-written by **Fantasycatcher**, her part is the one in bold, - she is Sam, by the way - so readers can differentiate which one is which. This was done several months ago, when I couldn't get my muse to think of anything. She suggested doing a role play, and thus, this is born from an hour of doing so. Un-beta-ed.

This story is set right after _Monster Movie._

_*SnSnSnSnSn*_

**Sam watched on as Dean kissed Jaime, although he smiled it didn't quite reach his eyes, mostly because it wasn't a good feeling to watch his brother always loving and leaving people he seemed to care about. Sam didn't know if it got easier or harder with time but Dean always did a pretty good job of masking it either way. After she waved them goodbye they climbed into the Impala and set off once again, far away from Pennsylvania, Canonsburg. **

**Dean was unusually quiet, not even music and it lulled Sam to sleep. After what only felt like five minutes, Sam woke to Dean parking up in a lot in front of a cafe called 'Crust'. **

**"Why didn't you wake me?"**

Dean spared a glance at his still-groggy brother. Truth be told, he wanted, no, needed, the time and space to think, and it's easier when Sam could be seen but couldn't intrude, and he could only do that when his younger brother was asleep. He shrugged in response to Sam's question, and killed off the engine.

"You could use the sleep, and I could use the drive. It's a win-win situation. Now come on, I can hear the steaks calling my name and begging me to take a bite out of them."

**Sam narrowed his gaze on Dean as though focusing hard enough would allow him to read his brother's mind. As Dean killed the engine, Sam uncurled his long legs and climbed out of the car, striding toward the cafe. **

**"Yeah well, you could use some sleep too Dean."**

Dean snorted as he too, got out of the Impala and matched his brother's stride. He didn't bother to deny it, but that didn't mean he had to let Sam know that he's right.

They reached the door of the diner and peered in before opening the door. It wasn't crowded, as it was just past lunch, but there was still a good number of people idling went for the last booth in the diner and had barely sat down when a teenage waitress appeared, looking bored and snapping her gum. Dean directed his best impish smile to her, and she brightened visibly, her lips curving into a shy smile.

"What's good here, sweetheart?"

**Sitting opposite Dean, Sam flashed a grin at the girl and gave a terse nod before rolling his eyes at Dean's choice of words, 'sweetheart' always seemed to get a reaction he wanted.**

**Hannah pushed her brown hair behind her ear, completely ignoring the guy that green eyes had come in with. **

**"Uh, I think the grilled steak meal is the best, it's a favourite around here." Hannah smiled widely, pulling her pad from the apron around her waist. "I could come back if you wanna look at the menu for a bit." **

**Sam cleared his throat, reminding the waitress he was there too. "Good idea, he'll just have a coffee for now and I'll have a water."**

Dean nodded in agreement with his brother. He watched as the waitress wrote the drink orders down and jerked her face back to him before walking off, swaying her hips slightly. Dean stared, mesmerised for a moment, before reminding himself that she looked just barely out of school.

He sighed to himself and turned back to face Sam, who was wearing a frown on his face. It didn't take a genius to know what was going through Sasquatch's mind.

"Dude, I know, jailbait. Hurry up and choose. I'm starving."

**Sam shook his head, picking up the menu to browse over the listings. **

**"Yeah, well sometimes I wonder Dean..." He smirked over the menu then, amused when Dean glared back with 'ha ha' not funny face. **

**"I'll probably end up going with the grilled Steak." Sam fell silent as he watched his brother nod in agreement unable to fight the urge to know what was going on in that head of his. "So, Jaime..."**

Dean grinned, thinking of the feisty blonde. He had been "obliged" to comfort her after she shot the shape shifter, to "make sure" that she got home okay. Evidently, his body guarding duties didn't end till the morning after. And what a duty that was.

Dean straightened in his seat and said in a mock-serious voice, "Dude, you know I never kiss and tell." When Sam rolled his eyes, he grinned again. "Well, yea, I do, but if you want a blow by blow account of what we are doing last night, then you are more of a pervert than I thought."

**Sam shook his in disgust though he knew better than to be offended by Dean's insults, his brother had known what he meant, he knew Sam too well not to know. Placing the menu down, he leaned his elbows against the table. **

**"You know what I mean, Dean. Think you'll ever see her again?" Sam asked, already knowing before Dean opened his mouth that the answer would frustrate him.**

"I'll certainly see her again in my dreams," he pasted a leery smile on his face.

Sam just looked on, saying nothing, not rising to Dean's bait. He let the grin die, feeling the mood of the conversation changing towards a more serious note. He really didn't want to do the caring and sharing session here and now, preferably not ever, but knowing Sam, he would refuse to move from the seat until he got his answer. Stubborn, pig-headed, mulish, pain in the ass, emo, little brothers.

"I don't know, Sam. She's got a great life, a steady job, a family. What else can I offer her apart from an extremely fun but brief walk with a rebel on the wild side?"

**Sam's shoulders sunk, it never got easier hearing his brother talking about himself like he was nothing, like he'd never have anything more to offer someone than a night in some motel. Not just because he knew Dean had so much more to offer than he realized but because the hope he held on to for himself faded a little more every time his big brother said it. After all, he was a Winchester too. **

**Maybe it's about what she coulda offered you..." Sam muttered, tracing circles on the table with his finger.**

Dean's mind flashed back to a four-year-old Sam doing the same action when Dean chastised him for asking too many questions to Dad about Mom. He shook his head slightly to chase away the memories and sighed slightly.

"I'm not even sure if I can accept what she has to offer, Sam. Not right now. I'm just...," Dean broke off, shaking his head again.

He couldn't explain to Sam that after what he had gone through in Hell, even the slightest stray thought about a normal life had gone up in flames, metaphorically speaking. He couldn't tell Sam about his tortures, about the other souls that he tortured, about the vivid nightmares that visited him daily. He couldn't even tell Sam how uneasy he made him about his powers and Ruby...

He blinked his eyes and snapped back to the present when he heard Hannah's voice asking for their orders. He cleared his throat, graced the teenager with another smile. "I'll have the steak, well done, with the fries and the mash potatoes. Sam?"

**"Not now, but one day maybe." Sam smiled solemnly at his brother before leaning back to take a deep breath as Hannah's voice broke into their conversation, which Sam was sure his brother was probably grateful for. **

**The corners of his mouth twitched as Dean gave the waitress his order and turned back to him. "Uh yeah, same."**

Dean smiled back at Sam fondly, feeling the almost tense situation dissipitate into thin air. He heard the tone of his brother's words, signalling the end of the conversation. He leaned back, took a deep breath and feel almost at peace for the first time ever since he came back from Hell. He had his brother alive in front of him, his baby parked outside within sight, and he was about to eat. The Best Steak in the State, as proclaimed by the banner outside.

The rest could wait.

_*SnSnSnSnSn*_

Thanks for reading! I'll get back to my other stories as soon as I finished mt BB. I hope.


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